Today January 29th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
904 – Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher.
1676 – Feodor III becomes Tsar of Russia.
1814 – France defeats Russia and Prussia in the Battle of Brienne.
1834 – US President Andrew Jackson orders first use of federal soldiers to suppress a labor dispute.
1845 – The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe is published in the New York Evening Mirror.
1850 – Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the U.S. Congress.
1856 – Queen Victoria institutes the Victoria Cross.
1861 – Kansas admitted as the 34th U.S. state.
1863 – Bear River Massacre.
1886 – Karl Benz patents the first successful gasoline-driven automobile.
1891 – Liliuokalani is proclaimed Queen of Hawaii, its last monarch.
1900 – The American League is organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with 8 founding teams.
1916 – World War I: Paris is first bombed by German zeppelins.
1936 – The first inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame are announced.
1940 – Three gasoline multiple units carrying factory workers crash and explode while approaching Ajikawaguchi station, Yumesaki Line (Nishinari Line), Osaka, Japan, killing at least 181 people and injuring at least 92.
1943 – The first day of the Battle of Rennell Island, U.S. cruiser Chicago is torpedoed and heavily damaged by Japanese bombers.
1944 – USS Missouri the last battleship commissioned by the US Navy is launched.
1944 – World War II: The Battle of Cisterna takes place in central Italy.
1944 – World War II: About 38 men, women, and children die in the Koniuchy massacre in Poland.
1944 – In Bologna, Italy, the Anatomical Theatre of the Archiginnasio is destroyed in an air-raid bombing
1963 – First inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame are announced.
1978 – Sweden outlaws aerosol sprays due to their harmful effect on the ozone layer, becoming the first nation to enact such a ban.
1989 – Hungary establishes diplomatic relations with South Korea, making them the first Eastern Bloc nation to do so
1996 – President Jacques Chirac announces a definitive end to French nuclear testing.
1996 – La Fenice, Venice s opera house, is destroyed by fire.
1998 – In Birmingham, Alabama, a bomb explodes at an abortion clinic, killing one and severely wounding another. Serial bomber Eric Robert Rudolph is suspected as the culprit.
2001 – Thousands of student protesters in Indonesia storm parliament and demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign due to alleged involvement in corruption scandals.
2002 – In his State of the Union Address, United States President George W. Bush describes regimes that sponsor terror as an Axis of Evil, in which he includes Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
2005 – The first direct commercial flights from the mainland China (from Guangzhou) to Taiwan since 1949 arrived in Taipei. Shortly afterwards, a China Airlines carrier landed in Beijing.
Births
1584 – Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (d. 1647)
1632 – Johann Georg Graevius, German classical scholar and critic (d. 1703)
1688 – Emanuel Swedenborg, Swedish scientist and philosopher (d. 1772)
1711 – Giuseppe Bonno, Austrian composer (d. 1788)
1715 – Georg Christoph Wagenseil, Austrian composer (d. 1777)
1717 – Jeffrey Amherst, British military leader (d. 1797)
1718 – Paul Rabaut, French Huguenot pastor (d. 1794)
1737 – Thomas Paine, English-born American patriot (d. 1809)
1749 – King Christian VII of Denmark (d. 1808)
1754 – Moses Cleaveland, founder of Cleveland (d. 1806)
1756 – Henry Lee III, American General
1761 – Albert Gallatin, Swiss-American United States Secretary of the Treasury
1782 – Daniel Auber, French composer (d. 1871)
1801 – Horatia Nelson, daughter of Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson (d. 1881)
1810 – Ernst Kummer, German mathematician (d. 1893)
1843 – William McKinley, 25th President of the United States (d. 1901)
1846 – Karol Olszewski, Polish scientist (d. 1915)
1860 – Anton Chekhov, Russian writer (d. 1904)
1862 – Frederick Delius, English composer (d. 1934)
1866 – Romain Rolland, French writer, Nobel Laureate (d. 1944)
1867 – Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Spanish writer (d. 1928)
1874 – John D. Rockefeller Jr., American entrepreneur (d. 1960)
1876 – Havergal Brian, British composer (d. 1972)
1877 – Georges Catroux, French general (d. 1969)
1880 – W.C. Fields, American actor (d. 1946)
1891 – Elizaveta Gerdt, Russian ballerina (d. 1975)
1891 – R. Norris Williams, American survivor of the RMS Titanic sinking (d. 1968)
1895 – Muna Lee, American poet (d. 1965)
1901 – Allen B. DuMont, American scientist and inventor (d. 1965)
1905 – Barnett Newman, American painter (d. 1970)
1910 – Colin Middleton, Irish artist (d. 1983)
1911 – Peter von Siemens, German industrialist (d. 1986)
1913 – Victor Mature, American actor (d. 1999)
1913 – Daniel Taradash, American screenwriter (d. 2003)
1913 – Peter von Zahn, German journalist and writer (d. 2001)
1915 – John Serry, Sr., American musician and arranger (d. 2003)
1918 – John Forsythe, American actor
1920 – José Luis de Villalonga, Spanish aristocrat (d. 2007)
1921 – Anthony George, American actor (d. 2005)
1922 – Gerda Steinhoff, Nazi concetration camp supervisor (d. 1946)
1923 – Paddy Chayefsky, American writer (d. 1981)
1923 – Ivo Robic, Croatian singer and songwriter (d. 2000)
1924 – Luigi Nono, Italian composer (d. 1990)
1924 – Marcelle Ferron, Quebec painter and stained glass artist (d. 2001)
1924 – Peter Voulkos, American artist (d. 2002)
1926 – Franco Cerri, Italian musician
1926 – Abdus Salam, Pakistani physicist, Nobel laureate (d. 1996)
1927 – Edward Abbey, American author and environmentalist (d. 1989)
1928 – Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong property developer
1930 – Derek Bailey, English guitar virtuoso (d. 2005)
1930 – John Junkin, English radio, television and film performer (d. 2006)
1932 – Tommy Taylor, English footballer (d. 1958)
1932 – George Allen, English footballer
1933 – Sacha Distel, French singer and guitarist (d. 2004)
1933 – Ron Townson, American singer (The 5th Dimension) (d. 2001)
1933 – Paul Sally, American mathematician
1936 – James Jamerson, American bass guitarist for Motown Records (d. 1983)
1939 – Germaine Greer, Australian writer
1940 – Katharine Ross, American actress
1940 – Kunimitsu Takahashi, Japanese motorcycle racer and racing driver
1941 – Robin Morgan, American feminist and activist
1942 – Claudine Longet, French singer, dancer and convicted murderer
1944 – Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda
1944 – Patrick Lipton Robinson, Jamaican judge
1945 – Jim Nicholson, Irish politician
1945 – Tom Selleck, American actor
1947 – Linda B. Buck, American scientist, Nobel laureate
1947 – David Byron, English singer (Uriah Heep) (d. 1985)
1947 – Marián Varga, Slovak musician
1948 – Cristina Saralegui, American talk-show host
1948 – Marc Singer, Canadian-born actor
1948 – Pat Kenny, Irish TV presenter & radio host
1950 – Ann Jillian, American actress
1950 – Jody Scheckter, South African race car driver
1951 – Andy Roberts, West Indian cricketer
1952 – Tommy Ramone, Hungarian-born musician and record producer (The Ramones)
1952 – Rupert Hanley, Former South African cricketer
1953 – Paulin Bordeleau, Quebec ice hockey player
1953 – Hwang Woo-Suk, South Korean biomedical scientist
1953 – Teresa Teng, Taiwanese singer (d. 1995)
1953 – Lynne McGranger, Australian actress
1954 – Richard Manitoba, American singer (The Dictators and MC5)
1954 – Terry Kinney, American actor
1954 – Oprah Winfrey, American talk show host and actress
1954 – Doug Risebrough, Canadian ice hockey player, coach and executive
1955 – Eddie Jordan, American basketball player and head coach
1955 – Lynne McGranger, Australian actress
1957 – Grazyna Miller, Italian poet, translator, and journalist
1960 – Matthew Ashford, American actor
1960 – Gia Carangi, American model (d. 1986)
1960 – Sean Kerly, English field hockey player
1960 – Greg Louganis, American diver
1960 – Steve Sax, American baseball player
1960 – J. G. Thirlwell, Australian-born musician
1962 – Nicholas Turturro, American actor
1963 – Bob Holly, American professional wrestler
1964 – Andre Reed, American football player
1964 – John Habyan, American baseball player
1964 – Roddy Frame, Scottish singer (Aztec Camera)
1964 – Anna Ryder Richardson, British interior designer and television presenter
1965 – Dominik Hašek, Czech ice hockey player
1965 – Peter Lundgren, Swedish tennis coach
1966 – Romário, Brazilian footballer
1967 – Cyril Suk, Czech tennis player
1967 – Stacey King, American basketball player
1968 – Edward Burns, American actor
1968 – Susi Erdmann, German bobsledder and luger
1968 – Sora Jung, Korean actress
1969 – Hyde, Japanese singer
1970 – Heather Graham, American actress
1970 – Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Indian shooter
1970 – Jörg Hoffmann, German swimmer
1973 – Jason Schmidt, American baseball player
1974 – Koji Wada, Japanese singer and songwriter
1975 – Sara Gilbert, American actress
1976 – Chris Castle, American singer-songwriter
1976 – Charles Divins, American model and actor
1977 – Justin Hartley, American actor
1978 – Martin Schmitt, German ski jumper
1978 – Rob Bironas, American football player
1979 – April Scott, American actress and model
1979 – Joseph Todd, Arena Football League player
1979 – Sui Feifei, Chinese basketball player
1980 – Yael Bar-Zohar, Israeli actress and model
1980 – Ivan Klasnic, Croatian football player
1981 – Jonny Lang, American musician
1981 – Álex Ubago, Spanish musician
1981 – Darío Lopilato, Argentine actor
1982 – Heidi Mueller, American actress
1983 – Nedžad Sinanovic, Bosnian basketball player
1985 – Athina Onassis, French heiress
1985 – Isabel Lucas, Australian actress
1985 – Marc Gasol, Spanish basketball player
1985 – Todd Herzog, American reality-show contestant
1986 – Drew Tyler Bell, American actor
1986 – Mark Howard, English football player
1986 – Simon Vukcevic, Montenegrin football player
1986 – Chris Bourque, American pro hockey player
1987 – Spencer Clark, American race car driver (d. 2006)
1987 – Matthew Wilson, English world rally driver
1988 – Stephanie Gilmore, Australian professional surfer
1991 – Hugh Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor, Son of the Duke of Westminster
1993 – Michelle Larcher De Brito, Portuguese tennis player
1996 – Megan Jossa, English actress
Deaths
1119 – Pope Gelasius II
1240 – Pelagio Galvani, Cardinal-Bishop of Albano (b. c. 1165)
1342 – Louis I, Duke of Bourbon (b. 1279)
1597 – Elias Ammerbach, German organist (b. 1530)
1608 – Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1557)
1647 – Francis Meres, English writer (b. 1565)
1676 – Tsar Alexis I of Russia (b. 1629)
1678 – Jeronimo Lobo, Portuguese Jesuit missionary (b. 1593)
1696 – Ivan V, Russian tsar (b. 1666)
1706 – Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset, English poet and courtier (b. 1638)
1737 – George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, British soldier (b. 1666)
1743 – André-Hercule de Fleury, chief minister under Louis XV of France (b. 1653)
1763 – Louis Racine, French poet (b. 1692)
1820 – King George III of the United Kingdom (b. 1738)
1829 – Paul François Jean Nicolas Barras, French politician (b. 1755)
1870 – Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1797)
1871 – Philippe-Joseph Aubert de Gaspé, French Canadian writer and Seigneur (b. 1786)
1899 – Alfred Sisley, British impressionist painter (b. 1839)
1901 – Milan I, King of Serbia (b. 1855)
1906 – King Christian IX of Denmark (b. 1818)
1918 – Aleksei Maksimovich Kaledin, Russian-counter revolutionary (b. 1861)
1928 – Douglas Haig, British soldier (b. 1861)
1933 – Sara Teasdale, American poet (b. 1884)
1934 – Fritz Haber, German chemist, Nobel Laureate (b. 1868)
1941 – Ioannis Metaxas, Greek general and dictator (b. 1871)
1946 – Harry Hopkins, 8th United States Secretary of Commerce (b. 1890)
1948 – Tomislav II of Croatia, 4th Duke of Aosta, Italian aristocrat (b. 1900)
1950 – Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait (b. 1885)
1951 – Frank Tarrant, Australian cricketer (b. 1880)
1956 – H. L. Mencken, American journalist (b. 1880)
1962 – Fritz Kreisler, Austrian violinist (b. 1875)
1963 – Robert Frost, American poet (b. 1874)
1964 – Alan Ladd, American actor (b. 1913)
1966 – Pierre Mercure, French Canadian composer (b. 1927)
1969 – Allen Dulles, American CIA director (b. 1893)
1970 – Basil Liddell Hart, British historian (b. 1895)
1977 – Buster Nupen, South African cricketer (b. 1902)
1977 – Freddie Prinze, American actor and comedian (b. 1954)
1980 – Jimmy Durante, American actor and comedian (b. 1893)
1986 – Leif Erickson, American actor (b. 1911)
1989 – Halina Konopacka, Polish athlete (b. 1900)
1991 – Yasushi Inoue, Japanese historian (b. 1907)
1992 – Willie Dixon, American composer and musician (b. 1915)
1993 – Ron Kostelnik, American football player (b. 1940)
1994 – Ulrike Maier, Austrian alpine skier (b. 1967)
1998 – Joseph Alioto, mayor of San Francisco (b. 1916)
1999 – Lili St. Cyr, American dancer (b. 1918)
2002 – Dick Night Train Lane, American football player (b. 1928)
2002 – Harold Russell, Canadian-born actor (b. 1914)
2003 – Frank Moss, American politician (b. 1911)
2004 – M. M. Kaye, British writer (b. 1908)
2004 – Janet Frame, New Zealand writer (b. 1924)
2005 – Eric Griffiths, Welsh guitarist (The Quarrymen) (b. 1940)
2005 – Ephraim Kishon, Israeli satirst (b. 1924)
2007 – Barbaro, American thoroughbred racehorse (b. 2003)
2007 – Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim, Iraqi extremist leader (b. 1970)
2008 – Raymond Jacobs, American soldier (b. 1925)
2008 – Philippe Khorsand, French actor (b. 1948)
Holidays and observances
Roman Catholic saints – Valerius of Trèves, Saint Juniper
January 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Gibraltar – Constitution Day
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